Followers are known in the art. A follower is a component situated within a magazine between a lower spring and the ammunition rounds in the magazine. As the rounds are fired from the firearm, the spring pushes the follower up along the body of the magazine, pushing the rounds into the firing chamber for continued firing.
A standard OEM semi-automatic rifle contains a magazine catch assembly. A standard magazine catch assembly is comprised of a magazine catch, a spring, and magazine release button. The magazine catch consists of two ends which occur at a substantially right angle. One end is a threaded screw. The other end is a substantially flat member. When installed in a semi-automatic rifle, the spring is placed over the threaded screw end of the magazine catch. The screw is then inserted through the lower receiver and threaded through the magazine catch button on the opposite side of the lower receiver. The opposite end of the magazine catch rests within a recess in the magazine well receiver. When a magazine is placed in the magazine well the magazine catch slides into a recess in the magazine. The catch holds the magazine in place while the firearm is in use. To release the magazine, a user pushes the magazine release button. When the magazine release button is depressed the magazine catch is lifted from the recess in the magazine and the magazine freely slides out of the magazine well.
When a magazine is empty the user does not know until the user has fired all of the rounds from magazine, including those from the magazine which are in the chamber. So currently when a magazine is empty it is still attached to the lower receiver of the firearm. The user does not become aware that the magazine is empty until the user pulls the trigger and the firearm does not fire. At this point in time then the user pushes the magazine release button. The magazine release button is attached to the magazine catch bar. The magazine catch bar resides in a catch recess in the magazine which prevents the magazine from being removed. Once the magazine catch bar is disengaged then the user removes the empty magazine and replaces it with a full magazine to continue firing.
This process is inefficient. A user is unable to fire the firearm while removing the magazine and attaching a new magazine. What is needed is a device and method whereby the magazine is automatically ejected from the firearm after the last round has left the magazine but is yet to be fired. This would increase the efficiency of use because the user does not have to remove the empty magazine but instead can simply insert the new magazine and continue firing.